SRC: Nutella Mousse – 3 Ways

by Holly on November 5, 2012

There are some recipes that should come with a warning. This recipe, such as it is, for Nutella Mousse is one of them. Honestly, I don’t know why I’ve never done this before or thought about it, but now that I have, I can tell you, it’s trouble.

I have never before given the following warning to you my friends: DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING TRULY DANGEROUS.

Consider that my PSA for what you’re about to read.

For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was given Erica over at Itzy’s Kitchen as my assignment. As I was going through her recipes it was obvious to me that this is a gal who likes to eat well, but likes to eat healthy (and has a super cute baby girl!). Of course, then leave it to me to stumble on a recipe that is dangerous information (and on the less-than-healthy side). Come on. You know me well enough by now to know I’ll go to the decadent side of things 9 times out of 10.

I chose to make the recipe that Erica shared for a chocolate-hazelnut mousse (Nutella Mousse). Let me say that again – NUTELLA. MOUSSE.

At the risk of sounding rude to myself, this is stupid easy. Which is why I kind of smacked my head and thought, “why haven’t I thought of this!” Maybe you have, but it was a revelation to me.

I know you are already starting to see the dangerous implications of having the ability to make such a creamy, light, airy, chocolate-hazelnut concoction. No sooner did I make the mousse than my mind started racing with all the possibilities.

I mean sure, I absolutely adore a good chocolate mousse made the old fashioned way (hands down my favorite dessert actually) but having something so fast and easy and satisfying? Well, let’s just say I’ve already made this three times and our family has consumed a large jar of Nutella. For some in our family who are still super skinny and need to gain weight though this recipe is a treasure! I’ll get some weight on Cole yet since Nutella and whipped cream are two of his most favorite things.

So. How did we eat this?

Well, of course there is the obvious option of just eating it as a mousse, straight up – maybe with a cookie and some bananas, or some sliced strawberries, a little whipped cream and, since my boys are sprinkle fanatics, those had to go on top as well.

I knew that an all chocolate-hazelnut version made with this mousse was going to have to happen (best icebox cake ever!) – even if I was short a few cookies and the cake didn’t get quite as tall as the original.

Perhaps we were short a few cookies because I had been dipping them willy-nilly into the mousse and eating them like chips and dip, but who’s to say.

I left no witnesses.

We’ve also still had pumpkin on the brain and decided that using the mousse as a filling for some whoopie pies wouldn’t go amiss. Especially not when the cake/cookie part of the whoopie pie is ridiculously simple to make (no mixer needed!) and fast as well. They are even great all on their own, or you could toss chocolate chips in, make the batter into muffins – whatever you want!

So, now the only question is… what would you do with a big bowl of ridiculously easy to make Nutella Mousse?

The shape of your cake is up to you. You could even make it in a loaf pan. Basically you just have to layer cookies then mousse until you run out of cookies. The cake shown here (and the Pumpkin Icebox Cake I made for Halloween) consisted of layers of 6 cookies in a circle on a plate (1 in the middle, 5 on the outside) then a layer of mousse, then offsetting another layer of cookies the same way, then mousse, etc. until all the cookies are gone. Finish off with a layer of mousse, then chill the cookie/mousse layers for at least 6 hours or overnight. The longer it chills and sits, the softer the cookie layers will become and be more like cake.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Nutella Mousse

1 batch of Nutella Mousse as follows:

3/4 cup Nutella
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Beat together until thick, cover and chill until ready to use – at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl whisk together the brown sugar, butter, pumpkin, egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together well to make a very thick batter. Use a round scoop 1 to 1 1/2 oz to scoop cookie batter at least 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake about 15 minutes for 1-oz scoops and about 18 minutes for 1 1/2-oz scoops. Cookies should feel slightly springy when done. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks completely. On the flat side of a cookie, spread a generous tablespoon or more of the Nutella mousse filling then sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. If there is extra mousse coming out the sides of the cookie you could roll the edges in the chopped toasted hazelnuts for a little extra crunch. Keep filled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes about 15 sandwiches (30 cookies total).

Holly – you are right – the nutella mousse idea is pure genius, but I’m SO glad you linked to that pumpkin icebox cake! That is a must-make for sure! Thank you again for sending me in the direction of those 1-hour dinner rolls – I adored them!

Wow! How did I miss this one? Deliciousness. And you’re right, dangerous. Thanks for the warning. I just made the chocolate wafer dough, it’s chilling. Came to look up your pumpkin icebox cake, now—-hmmmm, pumkin or Nutella???? How dare you do this to me? 😉 I’ll be having a hard time deciding while I see how the homemade wafers come out. I’ll let you know. Great SRC post, Holly!

I'm
the Mama to two wild little boys and one very sweet baby girl with Down
syndrome. I'm also married to a skydiver/wind tunnel instructor/BASE Jumper.
This all makes for an interesting life at our house.

So, in an attempt to keep what sanity motherhood and marriage leave me with, I
am trying to conquer my world, one recipe at a time. Cheaper than therapy, and
much more tasty!